1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to music learning and, more particularly, to a music learning system for facilitating the learning of the structures of music and the playing of instruments.
2. Prior Art
Typically, the learning of music involves the memorization of standard musical composition structure and notation. The information derived therefrom is then applied to a musical instrument to enable the execution of a musical composition. Many prior art systems have been devised to facilitate this learning.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,057,501 and 5,540,132, issued May 2, 2000 and Jul. 30, 1996, respectively, to Hale for Method and Apparatus for Teaching Musical Notation to Young Children describes a method for identifying musical notation by matching each Western music alphabet not with a different object to which has been assigned a different distinct color. As has been done before in other systems such as those cited hereinafter, the objects in this invention are named such that each of their names begins with a different letter of the musical alphabet. This beginning letter is used to connect each object to a musical note via the beginning letter of the object name and the musical note name. The objects are then used to connect the notes to selected distinct colors that are not purposefully named such that their names begin with the common letter. The objective is to associate color to the notes in order to expedite the learning and remembering of the notes. As part of the preferred embodiment of the invention, and as another mnemonic device to aid in the remembering of the objects, each of the objects has been developed into a 3-dimensional puppet cartoon character that is endowed with a distinctly identifiable personality characteristic to assist in remembering the objects.
This system, designed to aid in making easier mental connections between note locations on a keyboard and note symbols on a staff, requires the student to memorize an unnecessary layer of association toward that goal. First, one must memorize the names of the objects, then the names of their assigned colors, and then make a connection to the notes via the objects, since it is the objects that have the direct connection to the notes via their names. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, there is evidence showing how any extra connecting layer can inadvertently broaden the opportunity to create confusion. For example, the object names presented often do not readily provoke a mental image of the colors they are paired with, and further, can even lead the student astray. For example, the object “grapes” is paired with “green,” yet “grape” is a color usually associated with “purple,” which also happens to be another color of the preferred embodiment. Then there is the object “fruit,” which is paired with “purple,” and yet “fruit” naturally provokes an association with many different fruit colors. Another object, “Easter egg,” represents “yellow,” yet “Easter egg” customarily has an association with an arbitrary myriad of colors, since individual Easter eggs are often colored with more than one color.
The other objects of Hale's preferred embodiment, beyond those cited in the previous paragraph, relate fairly well to the colors they are paired with, but there still remains an unnecessary extra layer away from the goal of precisely connecting note names to note symbols on musical compositions and to note locations on instruments via color. For even if all the objects always provoked the mental image of the proper color, it still would be necessary to remember which color goes with which object though the colors have no precise connector to the objects, e.g., “brown” is paired with “donut” which is paired with “D”; this can be confusing. To add to the inadvertently created confusion, there are two colors named beginning with the letter “B,” “brown,” and “blue”; these, and other such incidental associations that might occur from such randomly named colors, must be discounted.
Further, Hale's system is somewhat unwieldy in that it apparently requires the creation of new objects for each note. For example, there is a “crabapple” cited for middle “C”, and a “cherry” for the “C” above middle “C”. In addition, Hale suggests, without being specific, that sharps and flats be represented by some variation of these object shapes. Because there are no examples given beyond the eight objects described, this would mean, for example, that for the entire piano keyboard one would have to create and memorize eighty more, appropriate, colored objects that, as specified, occur naturally in the color represented, beyond the eight described. This would be even more complicated if one keeps to a theme and these eighty new objects must be fruits, in keeping with the preferred example. Still further, it is stated that musical scores could be created with the colored note symbols, and that note locations on instruments may be marked with colored scale letters. There is, however, no provision for the representation of a particular note's pitch change on these colored note scores and instrument note location markers. For example, one must identify which “red” “C” note is being represented on a score or an instrument, the “crabapple “C”,” the “cherry “C”,” or one of the other “red” object “C”'s that must be created and remembered, etc. Finally, Hale describes, but does not demonstrate, how the note location markers might be applied to an instrument.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,526,547, issued Feb. 17, 1925 to Hughey for Instruction Set describes a system set up as a chart on which is represented a keyboard, and three staves. Distinctly different colored note location markers, in the form of stickers representing each of the seven natural notes, are placed on the represented keyboard white keys. No solution for identifying the sharp/flat black keys is shown. The stickers are each then matched by color to note symbols on the staves of the chart. On the first staff, the note symbols are identified by colored thumbtacks on which are hung same-colored bird images; on the second staff the note symbols are identified by colored thumbtacks alone; and on the third staff the note symbols are identified by colored standard note symbols that have accompanying strips which graphically portray note time durations.
Hughey's system is more layered than necessary in that one must learn both arbitrary color and object names, and match them to the note letter names of music. Other than being colored the same, there is no direct connection between the colors, objects, and notes such as a common beginning letter of the beginning of each of the names of the colors and/or objects and each of the note letter names. The system also makes no provision for differentiating the specific pitch of a particular note so that it is clear which colored note location marker on the keyboard matches, which colored note symbol on a staff. Hughey's system is also limited to use as a music instruction chart, making it rather inflexible, and not readily adaptable into other forms such as more sophisticated manifestations that would appeal to adults, or to usage on a variety of instruments in combination with a variety of musical composition manifestations. Finally, Hughey's system does not use color to identify other musical structures such as the compositional keys, or sharps and flats of key signatures.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,546,843, issued Aug. 20, 1996 to Degaard for Piano Key Identification System describes a system that marks piano keyboard keys each with a note location sticker that relates the keyboard key to note symbols on a grand staff. The sticker has on it a representation of a five line staff, a clef symbol, a whole note, the note's letter name, and the solfege for the note. This system is limited to use with a keyboard, or an instrument with large note locations, since the note location stickers must be large enough to legibly accommodate the required information as described above. The system is also limited in that it uses no color. Its duotone black and white doesn't differentiate elements addressed by the system in the way color does.
In Degaard's system the note location stickers show whole note symbols at what appears to be the beginning of the staff because of the note symbol's proximity to the clef sign. This is somewhat misleading when one is attempting to pair a note key marked with one of the stickers to a note symbol on a musical composition, since most note symbols on a musical composition are not next to the clef sign. Further, Degaard's system seems to be restricted to the key of “C” or “A” minor. For example, the whole note symbols on the instrument note location stickers are shown always sitting next to a clef sign that shows no sharps or flats of a key signature, thus indicating the key of “C” or “A” minor. And, again, as represented, the system can be used only for the compositional key of “C,” since the “DO” solfege term of the instrument note location stickers is on the “C” note key, “RE” is on the “D” note key, etc. For this system to work for another compositional key of, say, “D,” “DO” would need to be on the “D” note location marker, “RE” on the “E” marker, etc. Finally, the instrument note location sticker description makes no allowances for ledger notes other than the “middle C” shown, as the stickers are described as having only five staff lines.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,447,213, issued Aug. 17, 1948 to Sledge for Musical Educational Appliance describes an apparatus designed to teach the simple rudiments of music. On this apparatus, a grand staff and keyboard are represented. The grand staff represented has small, movable, 3-dimensional representations of houses sitting at the end of each of the staff lines. These “houses” are each colored a different color, and on each roof is applied the note letter of the staff line the “house” marks. The note letters and colors of the “houses” are; “C”—red, “D”—orange, “E”—yellow, “F”—green, “G”—blue, “A”—purple, and “B”—white.
In addition to the “houses” described in the last paragraph, flat, 3-dimensional, movable pieces, in the shape of animals, are provided, to be placed on the staff lines as simple representations of note symbols. These animal shapes are named such that the first letter of each of the names matches one of the seven letters of the musical alphabet. The animal names, and their matching musical letters are; cat for “C,” dog for “D,” elephant for “E,” fox for “F,” goose for “G,” ape for “A,” and bear for “B.” A label on each animal image contains the letter that matches the animal name to the musical alphabet letter. This label letter is colored to match the color of the “house” at the end of the staff line. Movable, 3-dimensional note symbols are also provided so that they may be used in place of the animal image after a student has learned the placement of the animals on their proper staff lines.
Sledge's invention is limited in that it is configured as a fairly rudimentary musical instruction device. In addition, it is rather layered, which complicates the route to the intended objective of teaching the basic fundamentals of music. For example, two different sets of objects, the “animals” and the “houses,” as well as their arbitrarily-named colors, and their relationship to their musical alphabet letter name must be learned. Further, a theme involving towns and streets renders the system even more intricate.
Some of the confusion inadvertently created by the system can be seen in the relationships set up between the note names, the arbitrarily named objects, and the particularly named objects. The following are particularly distracting. The “G” note is paired with the blue house, and the goose, which is usually thought of as “white.” Thus, not only is the color assigned to the note not reinforced, but the mind must relate “G” to “b,” for “blue,” to “g” for “goose” while dismissing “w” for “white.” Other distracting examples are: the “B” note paired with the “white” house, and with the “bear,” which is usually thought of as “brown”; the “F” note paired with the “green” house, and the “fox,” which is usually thought of as “red”; and finally, the “E” note paired with the “yellow” house, and the “elephant,” which is usually thought of as “gray.” Even if the colors matched that of the animals named, the fact that the colors' names begin with a different letter than that of the animal name and the note letter creates confusion.
In addition to the difficulty of relating objects, notes, colors, and other “town” elements, Sledge's invention makes no provision for identifying specific pitch. The invention is primarily a device for teaching the basic lines of the staff and the natural notes as it doesn't address sharps, and flats, the staff space note positions, or any other aspects of musical structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,201,769, issued Oct. 17, 1916 to Siegel for Toy Piano describes a system using melody card charts that are paired with note location stickers on a toy keyboard. A different animal black and white sticker is placed on each of the keyboard keys to identify each key note. The animals of these stickers are arranged on the melody card charts to create a melody when the animal-stickered keys of the keyboard are played in the order presented on the cards.
Siegel's system is rather rudimentary, and is apparently intended only for a very limited keyboard, as no sharps, or flats are indicated on the keyboard. In addition, since one must learn a different animal for each key, the system is unwieldy, especially if applied to a standard piano keyboard. Finally, Siegel's system has very little relationship to standard compositional music. As stated, the keyboard represented has no sharps or flats, and the composition has no staves, or note symbols, or other features of standard musical compositional structure. This simplification could actually lead one astray from the goal of later musical proficiency since one is learning only note names and tones without any sense of standard musical structure.
Because of certain omissions in the prior art, as partly elucidated in the examples described, there remains a need for a music learning and playing coding system that utilizes wholly reiterative mnemonic components in conjunction with specific pitch indicators for enabling more efficient learning and playing of music.
Definitions
    1. Note: A general term used to refer to a tone or Note Letter Name (see “2” below) or Note Symbol (see “4” below)—where these are clearly understood.    2. Note Letter Name: A, B, C, D, E, F, or G.    3. Note Tone Representation: The representation of the actual sound produced by an instrument. Note Tone Representations include Note Symbols (see “4” below) and both Note Location Identifiers and Note Formation Identifiers (see “5” & “6” below).    4. Note Symbol: A conventional note symbol on a staff, ex: , or other note symbol representing a note, including lyric syllables, letters, and dots that are used on alternative compositional structures.    5. Note Location Identifier: A marker that is used to physically identify where a note originates on an instrument. This identifying is done by marking the location where the note is originated (by striking; stopping; fretting; exhaling or inhaling in a hole, and the like) on the instrument.    6. Note Formation Identifier: A diagram showing the configuration of how a note is originated via: the grouping of keys and holes; valves; slide position plus partial, if necessary; and the like. The diagram is usually placed directly beneath a Note Symbol of a staff, or Note Symbol of an alternate Musical Composition structure.    7. Stylized Image: The stylized animals, or other images that are used to enhance identification of a note tone that is represented by a Note Symbol, Note Location Identifier, or Note Formation Identifier. The image may be derived from fauna, flora, or objects.    8. Musical Composition: A visual production of music using Note Symbols of a multitude of kinds.    9. Staff: The five lines and spaces of the “staff.” “Staff” is the preferred singular form, and “staves” is the preferred plural form. “Staff lines” is used when referring to the lines of the staff, or staves, since “staff” or “staves” may refer to the inclusion of all the other elements of the staff, or staves, including the spaces, clef symbol, time signature, etc.    10. Pitch Marking: Describes the entire system of octave group pitch marking of the system, including reference to the “middle C” octave group, which is marked with no pitch marks.